While Covid-19 and all that goes along with it has had unprecedented negative impact on much of 2020 so far — and seems likely to continue doing so — there are a few positive things to come from the mess and distress. One of those is renewed interest in family game night and board games in general.

That said, as stay-home orders and advice will likely (for good reason) continue for some time to come, the stack of games our grandkids turn to for entertainment are in dire need of refreshing. Goliath Games and Pressman Toy come to the rescue with five new options, all sent to me free for review and to share my thoughts with you.

Now, as we are all still in varying degrees of social distancing and isolation, I was unable to put my favorite reviewers — aka my game-playing grandsons — to work sampling said games. I can assure you, though, after vetting each one myself, I have no doubt my grandkids as well as yours would be endlessly entertained and excited to receive from grandmothers and others, any (or all) of the options below. (Descriptions courtesy game makers; click photos to enlarge.)

BURGER PARTY

It’s the fast-paced, burger-building card game! Quickly slap the toy burger whenever you see matching cards to claim your ingredients, but watch out – they can be revealed when you least expect it! Snatch a special card to use against your friends. Toss in some strategy and a little luck, and you’ll build a burger that’s well done for the win!

Ages 6 and up; 2-6 players. Find BURGER PARTY ($28.89) on Amazon.com (affiliate link).

DOINK!

It’s high flying pig fun with Doink! Carefully balance the five-colored pigs on the platform, and deal out the farm animal cards. Try to match your cards by color or by farm animals, but watch out for that Doink card! Now it’s a frenzy to grab the colored pig that matches the most cards in your hand! Be the first player to get rid of all of your cards to win! Doink – the card game where pigs DO fly!

Ages 6 and up; 2-6 players. Find DOINK! ($11.80) on Walmart.com.

CHARADES FOR KIDS

Our classic game of Charades is designed especially for kids to play and enjoy! With three levels of clues, kids of all ages can participate. Each card has a clue with a picture, so no reading is required (although the combination of the picture and its corresponding word reinforces early reading skills). Younger players can act out a toothbrush, a cat or a bumble bee! Older children can read the simple words and phrases and act out actions like eating spaghetti or playing guitar! This game is great for the whole family to play together as they try to guess the charade before time runs out!

Ages 4 and up; 3 or more players. Find CHARADES FOR KIDS ($20.89) on Amazon.com (affiliate link).

MANCALA FOR KIDS

Mancala is thousands of years old, tracing its lineage to ancient Egypt. Our special kids edition replaces gemstones with cute plastic animals. To start, place all the animals in the pockets of the board. When it’s your turn, choose a pocket and scoop up all the animals in it, then drop them back into the pockets one-by-one as you circle the board. With just a few easy rules to follow, the object is to collect the most animals by the end of the game. All the pieces go back inside the game unit, which folds up for easy storage.

Ages 6 and up; 2 players. Find MANCALA FOR KIDS ($11.99) on Amazon.com (affiliate link).

SEQUENCE FOR KIDS

Play a card from your hand, place your chip on a corresponding character on the board...When you have 4 in a row, it's a SEQUENCE and you win! Use a UNICORN card to place your chip anywhere. Remove your opponent's chip with a DRAGON card.

Ages 5-11; 2 or more players. Find SEQUENCE FOR KIDS ($23.19) on Walmart.com.

One day Coronavirus #stayhome orders will be lifted. Let’s hope the smidgens of silver lining we found amidst the quarantine and isolation — including family game night — stick around. Stockpiles of entertaining options such as these from Goliath Games and Pressman Toy help further that cause.

Stay safe, be well … and keep on playing!

Disclosure: I received the products above free for review; graphics and opinions (beyond game descriptions) are my own.